Boobs Are Not Bunnies: Miss Hannah Hart’s Tips and Common Con Courtesy for SDCC 2014

Cheers, kittens! It’s Moi! One week to go! San Diego Comic-Con (July 24-27, 2014, S.D. Conv. Ctr.) is nigh and America’s Finest City is all abuzz. My own home at the Hotel del Coronado is stuffed to its ivory cornices and red turrets with not just the usual summertime crush of les touristes from all over the globe, but also with a healthy, amusing dose of geekery. Bienvenue a tous! San Diego loves geeks!

SDCC 2013 Photo: Twisted Pair Photography

Be ye a local geek (comme Moi) and didn’t get in (ni comme Moi), there’s still a faint ray of hope. Local “news” station FOX5 is giving away a pair of badges a day, in this week leading up to the Con; naturally, one must actually watch the local broadcast to learn the “Code of the Day”. Of course, considering what I went through for badges, the hoops could be more difficult than having to endure an hour a day of local news. If you are going, local or not, contest winner or no, I proffer a few helpful tips and links to help your Comic-Con 2014 be as easy-peasy lemon-squeezy as can be.

Toucan Blog: daily tips leading up to the Con from the very wizards themselves behind the Comic-Con Int’l (CCI) curtain

Transportation Info.: quick links to parking, hotel shuttles and local transportation like the MTS Trolleys, Coaster and Amtrak

Uber and Lyft: sure-fire, friendly ride-sharing to, from and around the Con; but know these private companies’ rates fluctuate depending on the time of day/night and need. Business 101, kids. Supply and demand hard at work here.

North County Coaster: a great option if you’re coming anywhere from Oceanside south; the Coaster is a quiet, clean ride with great views of the Pacific for most of the way (Snag a seat on the west-facing side for the best views!).

Call a friend or beg Dad: if you have anyone in the area whom claims to love you, even tolerate you, even a little bit, capitalize on that. Beg them for a ride! Drop-off and pick-up anywhere in the Gaslamp District makes your life easy-peasy!

As one expects, SDCC is a complete jumblef#&*. Whether you end up inside the Con rubbing elbows and armour with the likes of Salma Hayek, Daniel Radcliffe, George R.R. Martin, Weird Al and Seth Green or, enjoying the wild festivities that occur just outside the Con doors, it can, at times, feel like a claustrophobic nightmare. Remember to be kind. (As a dyed-in-the-wool geek, I can attest that a lot of us don’t groove well in large volumes of people; we’re oft a pale, quiet, nervous type.)

Be nice to the geek girls! SDCC 2013 Photo: Twisted Pair Photography

Comic-Con is a haven for nerdery, creativity and pop-culture camaraderie. It’s also a Tokyo metro-style, sardine-packed, hot-and-humid mess. Try to say “Pardon me” when you bump into Poison Ivy, “Thank you” when Adam West Batman holds open a door for you and a chivalric “After you, Milady!” when you and Princess Leia arrive at the same egress, at the same time. When it comes to cosplay, leave the snark and sneers at home; compliments go a long way in making someone’s day. Some of those costumes take forever to make, are probably raw-ther uncomfortable and it’s a good bet that no matter how smoking they look, the wearer feels just a tad self-conscious.

Apropos: the boobs. Yes, the boobs. As I wrote in my coverage of WonderCon Anaheim 2014, “Of course, de rigueur, there are lots and lots of boobs. There are always lots and lots of boobs. Funny thing is, after a few years of this, I’m beginning to recognize some of them.” There is also a lot of chatter about the appropriate amount of attention one should give those boobs.

For this girl’s take, if you’re going to put them out there, waaaay out there as some of the ladies do, I think you’d better expect some feedback. Still, that does not excuse some of the vile, verbal assaults hurled their way. Keep it clean, folks. Common courtesy guides one should ask before taking a picture, glance but don’t gawk and never, ever touch! (Please, see official guidelines below.) Just be nice. Like Thumper’s mama says, “If you can’t say somethin’ nice, don’t say nothin’ at all.” A good time shall be had by all, especially when we’re all cheery comic chums! Come on, everyone! Let’s all play the Pollyanna Glad Game!

They are not bunnies; you may not pet them. SDCC 2013 Photo: Twisted Pair Photography

As in years past, Dr. Lucy (Twisted Pair Photography) and I shall be covering SDCC 2014 for geek-culture website GoodToBeAGeek, even Preview Night! To boot, Yours Truly is champing at the bit to learn if this year’s submission to the official Souvenir Book -a Hellboy retrospective- made it in again: previous published articles include Peanuts, Tarzan and Bongo/Simpsons Comics. So, follow us on Twitter and stop by GoodToBeAGeek.com in the days following the Con for all the geeky, gooey, booby goodness coming straight from San Diego Comic-Con 2014!

Update: 23 July 2014: Yes, my Hellboy article did make it into the 2014 Souvenir Book!

*CCI’s Code of Conduct and Anti Harassment Policy

Attendees must respect common sense rules for public behavior, personal interaction, common courtesy, and respect for private property. Harassing or offensive behavior will not be tolerated. Comic-Con reserves the right to revoke, without refund, the membership and badge of any attendee not in compliance with this policy.

Persons finding themselves in a situation where they feel their safety is at risk or who become aware of an attendee not in compliance with this policy should immediately locate a member of security, or a Comic-Con staff member, so that the matter can be handled in an expeditious manner. If your safety is at risk and you need immediate assistance you may also use a white house phone and dial 5911.

Security may be contacted by visiting our Show Office in Lobby C. A Comic-Con staff member will be in the office during public hours.